The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-24
THE NEW SOUTH.
secuted.

double meaning, relating first to the rapid de-
velopment and material progress of the South
ern States, and second, to the disappearance
of old prejudices and the revival Of good feel
ing alleged to be going on there. For the
first there is happily abundant evidence of its
truth. Some portions of the South are devel-
oping very rapidly, and seem to be entering
on an era Of great prosperity. This is cause
for congratulation. In a large sense, the
prosperity Of one is the prosperity of all, and
we of the North can find reason to rejoice in
the material prosperity of the new South.
The other application Of the phrase appears to
be more fgurative. It answers an excellent
purpose for after-dinner speeches and club
orations, but beyond that does not seem to
pan out The new South. in a material sense,
is fact, but there is reason to fear that the
new South, in moral sense, is largely fiction.
There is no doubt about the influx of capital
the rapid growth of several Southern towns
and the development of important local enter
prises; these are tangible realities. But when
we come to hunt for evidences of new South
in moral sense we do not find them. We
hear much Of it in such speeches as that of
Mr.. Grady, few weeks ago, and in papers
| which accepted his rose -colored statements
without question, but we do not. as in the
| other case, find the proofs. We are assured
that the old prejudices have disappeared, that
| there is no more persecution Of negroes, no
| more intolerance or ostracism but instead,
| spirit of liberalism and equal and exact
justice to all men. This is the new
South we hear about. But where is it?
One would think the spirit of the new South
would be found in Birmingham Ala, if any
where. That is one of the towns Of rapid
growth and has been widely advertised as
wonderfully progressive and liberal place. Yet
an incident that occurred there during Sena-
tor Sherman's visit shows that the spirit of
the new South has not yet entered in. 1t
may be in the adjoining county, but not
there. In the morning of the day that Sena-
tor Sherman spent in Birmingham, while
many persons were calling to pay their re-
spects, he was handed note asking him to
name time when he would receive delega-
ton of colored citizens. He Immediately sent
word that he would receive them in his room
at 10 o'clock A. NJ. The delegation did not
appear at the appointed hour. An hour later,
as Mr.. Sherman was about leaving his room
with some friends, he was handed note as
| follows:
'Hon John Sherman:
| Dear Sir-In accordance with arrange
ment, committee of colored citizens of the
| United States and the State of Alabama came
| to sec you at 10 o'clock this morning. The
proprietor Of the Florence Hotel declined to
| allow US to visit your room, and said if we de-
sired to see you we must see you outside of
the Florence Hotel. We regret the occur
renee, as the committee is composed of the
best colored citizens of our community"
The note was signed by five representative
colored men A member of Mr. Sherman's party
Immediately instituted inquiries and found that
the colo,ed people had been forbidden to enter
ever permitted to enter the barber-shop and
there Mr.. Sherman met and talked with him.
Finding the facts to be as stated, Mr. Sher-
man Immediately ordered his bills paid, his
trunks taken down and went to another hotel.
He said emphatically that he would not stay
in hotel in which the landlord undertook to
decide who should be seen by him; that he
would determine that question for himself,
and would not submit for moment to the re
fusal of the landlord to allow any persons au
thorized by him to come to his room. The in
cident was soon noised about town, and caused
quite commotion. Some Of the citizens
deprecated it, and attempted to apologize fol
the action Of the landlord: but more congrat
ulated him, and in the afternoon and evening
he had quite an ovation. He seemed PROUD
of the distinction he had achieved ant
defended his act in loud and boastful style
, He was good enough to say that he had n,
objection to white Republicans entering hi
house, but if John Sherman or any othe
Republican thought he could come down Their
{ and pull Triggers" into his house, he wa
mistaken. The correspondent who relates tn
incident says
s'It was subject for comment that all tn
servants of the Florence Hotel are colored
4 The servant who brought up the letter frou
: the colored delegation requesting an audience
was about as black as the ace of spades, ant
the servant who brought me note from then
4 was as black as stack of black cats up
dark alley. When Mr.. Sherman rang his bel
a black man came up to his ROOM and tn
I proprietor did not object When black mai
:; came up with a trunk on his back there wa
no objection. But when delegation of col